Tags Kitchen

For the dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 17 ½  Tbsp unsweetened butter
• 1 egg
• Some salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• Water for texture

Mix all. Divide in 2, with one ball larger than the other. Place in fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.

For the filling:

• 3 ½ cups of walnuts
• 3 cups sugar
• 8 eggs
• Lemon zest
• Cinnamon, nutmeg (to taste)
• ¼ cup of Sultana Raisins or more, as you wish (my raisins were soaked in rum since Christmas. You can have the same effect if you microwave the raisins in rum, then let it cool)
• 1 tbsp sour cream. I used cream cheese instead because that’s all I had.

Grind it all up in a food processor or a heavy duty blender before you add the eggs and raisins, then add these at the end and mix a bit.

Turn oven on at 450°F. Take 2 dough balls out of fridge, and roll out larger one of the 2.

Layer into a buttered 13” x 8” pan. Pour filling on dough. Roll out the 2^nd dough ball, and place on top. Bake for 50 minutes.

When the cake is cool, you can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top.

Enjoy!!

• 1 bag of fresh Cranberries
• Juice from 1 Lime
• 1 bunch Cilantro
• 1 bunch Green Onions
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 Jalapeno Pepper

Place all ingredients in your food processor and run until they are completed blended.

Serve with chips or on top of cream cheese or whatever sounds good.

Ingredients

• 1 10-oz can green enchilada sauce (I used Stokes green chili with pork)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 8-inch flour tortillas, torn into large pieces
• 2 cups shredded cheese, plus 1/2 cup for top (I used that Mexican mixture already shredded)
• 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded or cut in pieces
• 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup of frozen corn (or more)
• 1 small can of chopped green chilies
• 1/2 cup salsa
• Avocado
• Cilantro

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. In a small bowl, combine the enchilada sauce and cream.
3. In another bowl, mix the cheese, chicken, onion, corn, chilies and salsa.
4. Spoon 1/4 cup of the sauce mixture into the bottom of a shallow 2-quart casserole.
5. Top with one tortilla and a third of the cheese, chicken, onion, corn, green chili mixture.
6. Repeat twice to form a total of 3 layers.
7. Top with the remaining tortilla, sauce mixture, salsa and cheese.
8. Cover loosely with the foil and bake 20 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more.
10. Serve with the avocado and cilantro and salsa.
11. ENJOY!!

Serves 4

Active Time: 8 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups Coleslaw Mix (from a bag)
• ½ Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
• ¼ Cup Light Mayonnaise
• 1 Tsp. Grated Lime Zest
• 3 TBSP Fresh Lime Juice
• 2 Tsp. Granulated Sugar
• 6 Frozen Beer Battered Fish Fillets (usually in boxes of 10)
• 8 Corn Tortilla Shells

1. Toss coleslaw mix, onion, mayonnaise, lime zest, juice, and sugar in a bowl.  Leave at room temperature.
2. Heat oven to 375°F.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup.
3. Place frozen fish fillets at one end of pan.  Bat 25 minutes.  Place tortilla shells at other end.  Bake 4 minutes, or until shells are warm and fish is cooked though.
4. Place fish in medium bowl and break into chunks with a fork.
5. Spoon into tortilla shells; top with coleslaw

Suggestions:

Don’t use beer battered fish fillets.  I would suggest using some white fish that is not breaded, like Tilapia. You may need to use more of an un-breaded fish in order to make up for the lack of bread chunks.  The bread portion of the fish takes away from the actual fish taco taste.

The tacos needed a little something to them when we followed the recipe above.  I would suggest using a green salsa or something else to add a spicy kick.  I used Sriracha Sauce and it was delish!

Vegetarian Version:

Don’t use fish in the tacos at all.  Instead warm a tortilla up with some cheese (I suggest pepper jack for a little kick).  Put the coleslaw on top & add your salsa.  Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from a recipe found in Women’s Day Magazine.

This is one of the best cookies I have ever had.  I highly recommend them!!

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 17 to 20 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon. baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 3 eggs

• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups sweetened flake coconut
• 2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F
2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl
3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute.
4. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla
6. Stir in flour mixture until just combined
7. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans
8. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup (or the size of a golf ball) of dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Press down on the cookie a little bit so it spreads out.
9. Bake in 350° F oven for about 15 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Cook longer if necessary

10. Remove cookies from rack to cool

Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350° F for 15 to 18 minutes

The other day I came across a recipe that sounded odd, but looked amazing.  It is an Israeli dish that is called Shakshuka.

Pictures will follow soon, I promise!

Shakshuka

Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce
An Israeli dish of  eggs, poached in a spicy tomato sauce

Serves 4 to 6

• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used some chili oil I made)
• 5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Warm pitas, for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water; reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk.

Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
3 and 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

1. In a medium measuring bowl combine all of the dry ingredients.

2. Add the egg and mix well.

3. Add the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and oil. Whisk until smooth. Stir in Chocolate chips.

4. Spray an over-sized coffee mug with baking spray and add the batter.

Microwave for 2 minutes 50 seconds.

Let cool in cup for a few minutes. Turn out onto a plate and let it cool further.

Make sure you take it out of the mug to eat it.  If you leave it in the mug, it’ll continue to cook.

FRIJOLES NEGROS

“Black Beans”

Yields 8 servings.

1 lb. black beans

10 cups of water

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2/3 C. olive oil

1 onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 green pepper

4 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1/4 c. oregano

1 bay leaf

2 T. sugar

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2 T.  vinegar

2 T. cooking wine

2 T. olive oil

Wash beans and soak in water with one green pepper.  Let soak at least 24 hours.

When beans are swollen start cooking in the same water until they soften (approximately 45 minutes).  In a skillet, heat oil.

Sauté chopped onion, garlic and then add a finely chopped green pepper.  Add approximately one cup of black beans to skillet and crush well, then add everything together with the rest of the beans.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf and sugar.

Cook for another hour approximately.  Add vinegar and cooking wine and cook in low heat for another hour.  If it’s still quite “liquidy” (too bro-thy) cook without lid so it can thicken.

When you are ready to serve add 2 T. olive oil.

Serve over white rice.

ROPA VIEJA

“Old Clothes”

Yields 8 servings

2 lb. flank steak meat

1/3 C. olive oil

1 onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic

1 large green pepper, sliced thin

1 can tomato sauce

1 t. salt.

1 bay leaf

1/2 C cooking wine

1 sm. jar red pimentos

splash vinegar

pinch sugar

1/4 c. frozen peas

In a pan, cook meat in water until meat is soft.

Strip the meat into threads. Chop garlic and sauté in hot skillet with onion, adding later the green pepper and sauté.

Add remaining ingredients and allow to slow cook with lid for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally so it won’t stick.

The red pimientos can be added sliced, mashed or used for decoration.  Add peas 5 minutes or so before serving.

Serve over white rice.

¾ lb. unsalted butter at room temp

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 ½ cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

¾ cup good raspberry preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugar until just combined. Add vanilla.

In medium bowl, sift together the flour and the salt and then add to butter mixture. Mix on low speed until dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes. (Longer than that and you’ll have to let it rest and warm up a bit.)

Roll dough ¼ inch thick and cut 2 ¾ inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With half the rounds cut a circle out of the middle with a one inch cutter. Place all cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. I say, lots less. Watch them. Mine were browning much sooner. Cool completely. Spread jam on flat side of each solid cookie. Dust top with powdered sugar and press sides together.

This recipe also works for plain shortbread cookies or add 1 ½ cups small diced pecans for Pecan Shortbread.